Chapter 3
Asami sat silently as she watched Rioichi meditate; she had been talking to him the past few days but it was only about usual stuff like the weather and how her leg was healing. She carefully studied Rioichi's facial features, her eyes tracing every detail of the male raccoon's stern and calm expression upon his face. She was almost tempted to reach out her hand and run her fingers down his chin but she ignored this. To end the silence between the two, Asami let out a small cough to gain Rioichi's attention.
The male raccoon opened his brown eyes and adjusted himself form a meditation position to a normal sitting position before facing Asami.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your meditation, but I thought maybe could be the perfect time to finally start asking my questions about you." she said.
Rioichi nodded in understanding, even he believed it was time to start asking questions. Of course he intended not to tell about the fact he came from a line of thieves or when his mother was killed. From the series of questions, Asami was amazed from learning Rioichi's backstory. She ended up discovering Daichi and Ling had met each other in China under unexpected circumstances, the two had over time fell in love and got wed. Upon discovering that Ling was pregnant, Daichi suggested to her that they move to his homeland of Japan and live out their lives in Japan's mountains. Rioichi explained how his father said he was quite the handful shortly after he was born, always climbing all over things, refusing to sleep. Rioichi said that his father told him that he got those traits from his mother. Asami blinked in confusion wondering why Rioichi would climb things and barely sleep like his mother, she wasn't able to piece together what Ling did for a living. He also told about how his father took care of him the most while his mother had the tendency to take a long walk around the mountains. Rioichi refused to tell the female raccoon before him that he had been suspicious that his mother was taking those walks because she was searching for something or someone. He even began to wonder if the person that killed Ling was the one she looked for during all those walks.
Asami couldn't help but let out a small giggle when Rioichi admitted he didn't grow up around other children which is why he stared at her when they first met.
"Huh that's pretty funny. I thought you were staring at me because I was cute or something." Asami said.
If Rioichi had been drinking water he would have spit it out that instant. The male raccoon coughed, beating his fist on his chest out of shock. He hadn't expected Asami to say anything like that, making him wonder why she had said it in the first place.
When Asami saw this her face blushed red out of embarrassment; she hadn't meant to make Rioichi shocked by such words.
"Anyway..." she started, wanting to change the subject, "What is that book I see you always reading? You never show it to anyone."
Rioichi slightly clenched his fist, he knew a question about the Thievius Raccoonus would show up sooner or later.
"It's a book my mother gave me, it's about my family history." he explained, planning not to go into detail about the book.
Asami frowned a bit at the answer given to her. It didn't explain to her why Rioichi was always hiding it from everyone, though she figured if she tried to press on about the subject that Rioichi would refuse to tell her anything else.
"Well since I know a bit about you, it's time you know a bit about me." she said.
She told Riochi how her mother was a geisha and ended up getting pregnant when one of the drunk customers had slept with her. Since it was against the law for geisha to sleep with anyone she convinced the man to marry her and sleep with her once more to hide the fact she broke the law. The man had agreed, but once the task was done he had left her. When Asami was born her mother become a servant to the Le Paradox family.
Rioichi groaned when he heard that family's name, remembering how Kenta Le Paradox would always challenge him, as if to prove something.
Asami continued on about how she had met and befriended Kenta at the age of three, the two would always play together, but most of the time Kenta would be forced into combat training by his father. She never knew why Kenta's father would have him constantly train, all she knew was that he told him that he had to continue the family's legacy. When she was five Madame Geisha had came to her mother, she closed her eyes as she remembered the memory.
Asami's mother was tending the flowers in the Le Paradox family's garden. She was busy at work until she saw a female rhino with her hair tied up in three black buns, white makeup and red blush powder on her face, and her lips painted red. The rhino took carefully steps, trying not to get her teal kimono with flower design on them dirty. Asami's mother's eyes widened when she saw the rhino approach her.
"Ah, Madame Geisha, I wasn't expecting you." Asami's mother said with a bow.
"Yes I know we haven't seen each other since you abandoned being a Geisha for marriage, but it seems that choice of yours was awful since your husband left you." Madame Geisha said.
The female raccoon's ears flattened against her head, she didn't like to be reminded of her former husband.
"Well anyway it has come to my attention you have a daughter and she is now five. Correct?" the rhino stated.
Asami's mother's eyes snapped wide open in fear; she knew what Madame Geisha was saying. Without warning she threw herself down at rhino's feet, sobbing very loudly.
"Please no! I beg of you, Madame Geisha, I wish for my daughter not to have the life I once had!" Asami's mother cried.
Madame Geisha looked down at the female raccoon, unaffected by her tears.
"You know the law, I shall start training your daughter immediately tomorrow." Madame Geisha said before turning around and leaving the garden.
Asami's mother lowered her head into hands, crying loudly as her tears mixed with the mud on her hands. There was nothing she could do to prevent her daughter from becoming a maiko, for the law commanded that every girl at the age of five must become a maiko. Asami walked up to her mother, curious on why she was crying. To her surprise her mother pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair, telling her that everything was going to be okay.
Asami took in a deep breath once she had finished the memory and explained to Rioichi when Madame Geisha took her to become a maiko. Whenever she had to serve the customers sake she would fear that they would become drunk and she would end up in a situation similar to the one her mother got herself into. She continued on about how every day she had to serve food, sing, and dance for the men, fearing the day when their minds get ideas for her once she gets older.
Rioichi had no idea what to say. He remembered the day when he and his father first arrived to the village Nobuo had sent in some geisha to serve them; he had no idea what they had to go through. Though the one thing Asami did not want to tell Rioichi was the fate that awaited her when she finally turns twenty-one, the day of her mizuage.
"Is your mother still serving the Le Paradox family?" Rioichi asked.
The female raccoon silently nodded.
Rioichi felt bad for what Asami's mother had to go through but he was thankful that Asami had a mother unlike him.
"You know, Rioichi, telling this has made me feel a little better. Normally I hardly talk to anyone about these things, not even Kenta." Asami said.
"Really?!" he replied in shock.
Asami nodded before continuing "You're the first person I really could talk to. While Kenta is my friend I unfortunately could barely talk to him. He's always too focused with his training."
Rioichi had no idea that telling someone about your pain could actually create healing, making him wonder if he could tell Asami about his mother's death.
"She trusts me, the least I can do is trust her I guess." he thought to himself.
He took in a deep breath, grabbed a hold of Asami's hands.
"Asami, you told me something that you trust me with, well I'm about to tell you something that I'm going to trust you with. Don't tell anyone or there will be consequences." Rioichi said.
The female raccoon froze, feeling Rioichi's hands tighten around hers when she didn't answer. Finally she slowly nodded her head.
Rioichi let out a sigh of relief before telling about the night his mother was killed. He told about how she had told him to hide and how he saw sadness in her eyes along with her sword in her hand. Asami turned pale when Rioichi described how frightened he was when he began hearing the noises of flapping wings and his mother's struggles before finally being paralyzed in fear when he heard his mother's screams of death.
"I don't know why she was killed or who did it, but I will find out by following my family's footsteps. She must had been killed for being a Cooper. It must have been it or whoever killed my mother would have killed my father." Rioichi said.
"If your mother was killed because of her family line then why didn't they kill you as well?" Asami asked.
"The murderer must have not known that I existed, probably believed that my mother was childless. That is probably why my mother had me hid." he answered.
Asami had no idea how to react to Rioichi's confession; she knew that she wanted to know about what secrets Rioichi hid but she never expected it to be so shocking that it would leave her speechless. She was awakened of her thoughts when she felt Rioichi's grip tighten around her hands.
"Asami, you must tell no one of this, I have a feeling that my mother wouldn't want others to know of this." he said.
The female raccoon was silent for a while before replying "Alright, Rioichi, I will tell no one of this."
Rioichi smiled and pulled Asami into a hug. The female raccoon blushed at this action as she hugged him back.
"Thank you Asami and you're right, talking about it did make me feel a bit better." he said.
Asami silently gasped at this; finally she smiled and pulled him into a tighter hug. She expected to learn about him and she actually got more. In fact the more she thought about it she was actually developing a small crush on Rioichi. But she shook off the thought, remembering that maiko and geisha were forbidden to fall in love.
Kenta was at his home, viciously throwing metal throwing stars at a wooden pole, remembering how Rioichi had saved Asami from the shark.
"Rivals bah! If she was a true rival like me she would have knocked him the water so the shark would get him!" Kenta snarled as her threw another throwing star.
His green eyes watched as the small weapon soared the air before plunging deep into the wooden pole. He was angry at the fact what happened to Asami, so angry that he was actually bitter towards her. He believed that if she was strong enough she would never had fallen in the water or need saving in the first place.
"Why am I even friends with such a weakling!" he yelled as he threw his weapon again.
He reached down for more throwing stars but saw his pack was empty. With a grumble he walked over to the wooden pole and roughly pulled out the throwing stars, ignoring the cuts he was creating on his hand. He remembered how when he first meet Asami he was desperate for a friend. He used to love those memories, but the older he got, the more he despised those memories. During his training with his father, not only was the skunk was taught martial arts, he was also taught what it meant to be a Le Paradox. He was taught that the Le Paradox clan was to be the best, manipulating others in order to get to the top. At one point he did consider Asami a good friend but that slowly change to only an ally. He always felt better when Asami comforted him because she wanted her to pity him; he wanted her to pity him so much that she would actually fulfill his deeds. When he saw how Rioichi held Asami in his arms, he believed that Rioichi was actually stealing away his friendship with Asami which meant he wouldn't be able to manipulate her. With a yell of rage he threw a throwing star once more, causing the wooden pole to split down the middle.
"You're not the better thief Cooper, I Kenta Le Paradox am the better thief." he snarled.
With that he stormed away from the broken pole, thinking of a way he would get back at Rioichi to prove who the best was. Just like his ancestors before him. Unknown to him his father had seen the entire thing. The older skunk grinned darkly, pleased with his son's anger.
"Following in the family footsteps." he muttered.
Later that day Asami turned her head, watching the golden sun lowering behind the mountains, preparing for the bliss of night.
"It's getting late. I should be getting home." she said.
She started getting up by pulling her body up with her cane, but to her surprise Rioichi scooped her up in his arms. Rioichi wanted to carry Asami home to give her wounded leg a break. As they headed toward Asami's home, the two raccoons glanced up at the sky, watching as the small shining stars appeared in the darkness of the night.
"The stars look lovely tonight." she muttered.
"My mother and I usually would look up at them whenever she didn't go on one of her walks." Rioichi started, "She told me they were the map of the night, that they had always guided her in her travels."
Asami stared up at the sky in wondering, wishing that she had been able to meet Ling. Without even thinking she leaned on Rioichi's shoulder and let out a deep sigh. She snuggled her head against his shirt, her eyes dropping in drowsiness.
"I'm really glad I met you Rioichi." she sighed.
"Me too." he said.
Rioichi kept walking until his eyes settled upon some lotus flowers, without a word he placed Asami back down on the ground. She was confused by this until she saw Rioichi grabbed one of the lotus flowers before turning toward her. He gently pushed back some of the female raccoon's hair behind her ear, leaving his hand there for a few moments. Finally he placed the lotus flower in her hair, making sure the flower was placed firmly before removing his hand.
"There now we're even." he said with a grin.
Asami laughed when she heard those words; she remembered how she had said those exact words after she had dumped scolding tea on his head in order to get back at him for causing her to fall into the fish pond.
"I guess we are." she said as she gently touched the lotus flower in her hair.
When they reached her house Asami was about to go inside until Rioichi stopped her.
"Asami, I've been thinking and after thinking about my mother I think it's time I've finally followed in my family's footsteps." he said.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"In my family we have had a tradition, every Cooper had followed it even my mother. I wasn't sure at first if I was ready but then I began to think about it. My mother wouldn't have planned to teach me at eight if she hadn't thought I was ready. So I'm going to follow that legacy." he replied.
He didn't want to tell her the tradition was of thievery, not sure how she would react.
Asami wasn't sure what Rioichi meant by tradition, but she knew she was glad that Rioichi was honoring his mother. She smiled at him once more before finally saying their good nights.
When Rioichi got back home the young raccoon took a knife, cutting into a tree. He made every carve delicate, making sure not to mess up once. After hours of carving he now held in his hands a wooden cane with the top of it shaped like a C, just like the handle on his mother's sword. He wrapped bandages around where he would grip the wooden cane. Once that was done he climbed up the tree to perch on the branch, pulling the Thievus Raccoonus out of his pack. He grabbed a brush and dipped in ink before opening up the book to the first blank page. That was where he began writing about how he saved Asami from a shark; Rioichi Cooper was beginning his journey of being a thief.
